Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-22
RALEIGH.
NEWS NOTES FROM SER OLD ssRTn
STATE.
The Supreme court-A Decision that 10
Anxiously Looked for-0ensral
News and Briofs.
[Snccinl telerrnm % the nlsratch.l

arguments and motions is concerned.
Opinions will be fled almost daily for
some weeks. however. Six were fled to-
day, but none of special interest. Con
siderable interest is manifested in the
expected decision IN the case of Smith
against The city Of Wilmington, which
involves the validity OF the vote by which
Sl00, 900 was subscribed TO the Whining
ton, Onslow and East Carolina railway.
No work can be done until that decision
is rendered.
MIR. Pritchard, member OF the House
from Madison comfy, had conference
with the penitentiary officials to-day in
regard 10 convicts who were granted to
build the turnpike in his county. Ar
rangcments will be made. il possible, TO
put conyicts there early in the spring.
Rev. George Williams. OF Nashville,
Tenn. retained there to-day, not having
definitely decided to accept the call TO
the Second Baptist church in this city.
The Examining Committee devoted
to-day to the examination of the State
Auditors Office, paying special attention
also to pension business. Tomorrow the
committee will conclude It's work. Full
reports on both the Treasury and the
Auditors Office will not be made until
after the examinations next December,
as the law requires them TO he biennial.
Your correspondent had long inter
view to-day with Major S. NJ. Finger,
State Superintendent Of Public Instruc-
ton, on the question of education, look
ing more particularly at what North
Corol;,o &c lo,Dr, for fha ,,aorro -, 4l,o
way of public education. The school
census shows 33S, 059 white and 2O9, 249
colored children between the school ages
(six and twenty-one). The enrolment
in the public schools is: Whites, lSS, 1876
colored, il7,5G2. The funds appor-
toned in 1886 were Si23, 2I5 for
whites and $247,S70 for col0red. The
per cdPit0 on enrolment was rs
follows; For whites, S2.25; CO.
lored, S2.11. The per capita on census
WAS For whites, SIPS colored, S1.lS.
Now this is o remarkable showing. The
colored people pAy very small percent
age, almost nothing, beyond their poll
tax. and OH the poll tax many Of them
are on the inSolvent list The amount
of poll tax collected in 1886 was $500, 600,
of which about third was paid by the
negroes; perhaps even that is an over
estimate. The schools get S2j0,000 of
the poll tax. The information Major
Finger he's secured is such as to
satisfy him that the colored peo-
pie do not pay as property tax
over one fourth the amount they pay
on polls-that is, they only pay go,
600 on property. This makes a total OF
1925, coo which they contribute for all
purposes. II is just about half of what
the State expends for their public-school
instruction alone. All the poll tax goes
that way. In other words, the white
people pay 81, 1915, 900 OF the g, 600, 600,
which is the annual expenditure Tor
State and county and school purposes
The whites thus bear the entire expenses
of the State and county government aud
one half of the school expenditure for
the colored people. There never was
such a showing; and they are doing
thus fairly by the colored people year
after year. Can any State show
such record, particularly any
State in the South? 1t may
with perfect truth be said that as a gene
raj thing the burden, great as it is, is
cheerfully borne. Not long ago an east
ern man asked Major Finger: "Has
education benefited the negro? p Il
will answer that question, was the re-
ply. if you will tell me what the negro
would have been if we had not taken
steps to enlighten him and fit him for
citizenship" 1t is ell great problem,
look at it as onewill, but the Democratic
party has since 1887, when it came in
power, done everything for the elevation
of the negro. These figures, now given
for the first time, show what IS being
done, and ought TO attract attention all
over the South.
There has been a good deal of talk
lately about the swamp lands held by
the Board of Education. There are
from $50, 900 to 1900 acres in all 60
far as can be discovered. A century ago
when people entered lands hundred
thousand acres at time they took in
these swamp lands. After awhile, when
they found what they were, they refused
to pay taxes on them, and they were sold
for taxes and bought in by the State.
Thus all the vast territory i'll ten or more
counties was acquired. 1t Is costly
business to drain them, hut much of the
land where thus reclaimed is fertile, and
some of it, drained partially fifty years
$40, and now grown up in reeds,
il fine for grazing. Much of the
land is without timber, while some
has fine cypress and Juniper timber.
A largo part OF these swamps Is under
laid with logs OF cypress and juniper,
thoroughly seasoned, and particularly
adapted TO ali fine woodwork. Some Of
these logs which are usually Roundabout
three feet beneath the surface, are three
feet in diameter. They are the romans
o fallen forests. AL that section OF the
State has been changed by fire. I'm
HYDE county even the lakes, winch now
"a 80 thickly, are in depressions where
tile soil was burned away. At the bot
tom Of these lakes are great quantities
OF charred timber. The soil in Hyde is
n6arly all peat and burns rapidly. The
landowners always fear drought and a
ire. for Il consumes their very farms.
II nav he years before there is any
marked development of these swamp
lands. Hyde, IN the midst OF them, has
the richest soil in the Stale. 1T IS the
LAND OF corn.
The Grand Lodge of Masons meets
here January 10th. c. II. Robinson, OF
Wilmington, is grand msster, and ID.
W. Balm, of Raleigh, grand secretary.
The weather has been SO extremely
hid as to stop all kinds Of work on the
nGw railways in course Of construction.
Very little will now be done until alter
the holidays
The residence OF G. S. Winstead, Jr.,
in Person county, was burned accl-
dentally Sunday night. The loss IS
about s., 800.
PRECIOUS METALS.